What to Do During the Week & the Weekend in Buenos Aires

Have you ever tasted olive oil as if it were wine? Miguel Zuccardi invites you to discover it at Nika Club, with an experience designed to reframe one of the finest products in Argentine cuisine. On September 15 at 8pm, you’ll taste three olive oils from the Zuelo range, paired with six nigiris created especially for the occasion, plus a glass of Polígonos Blanco from Familia Zuccardi. Everything takes place at Nika Club Omakase, a space that combines an impressive sushi counter with TACC-free pastries and a wine cellar featuring regions from Argentina and around the world.

The tip: advance reservations are required via WhatsApp at 11 15-3021-5648.

Where: Nicaragua 5952, Palermo.

A five-course menu, six wines from one of the country’s most acclaimed wineries, and the setting of a stable in the middle of the countryside: that’s what the first Cata de Enero at its Tortugas location looks like. On September 16 at 8pm, you’ll taste wines such as Mariflor Sauvignon Blanc, Mariflor Pinot Noir, Château Fontenil 2018 and Val de Flores Malbec 2021, each paired with a dish designed to bring out its character, from scallops with almonds and white grapes to a chocolate, raspberry and coffee dessert. The experience costs $115,000 per person.

The tip: advance reservations are required via WhatsApp at +54 9 11 2269-9667.

Where: Alejandro Korn 3160, Manuel Alberti.

The most boutique art fair in Latin America has chosen Argentina for its first international edition. From September 16 to 20, Casa Victoria Ocampo will become a meeting point for galleries, artists and collectors from Argentina and Brazil, with a format that moves away from large booths in favor of curated displays conceived as small solo exhibitions.

You’ll be able to see works by Guillermo Kuitca, Norberto Gómez, Edgardo Giménez, Kazuya Sakai and many more, as well as a Sculpture Garden featuring pieces by Roberto Vivo and Federico Lanzi.

The tip: September 16 and 17 are exclusively for collectors and invited guests; from September 18 to 20, the fair is open to the general public.

Where: Rufino de Elizalde 2831, Palermo.

The Buenos Aires Theater Complex is launching a silent film series with live music. From September 17 to 20, the Sala Leopoldo Lugones will screen four classics directed by Buster Keaton, Henrik Galeen, Erich von Stroheim and Victor Sjöström.

On September 17 at 8pm, The General: Keaton must recover his locomotive and the woman he loves in the middle of the American Civil War, accompanied by live music from Marcelo Katz. On September 18 at 7:30pm, The Student of Prague: a young man makes a pact with a sorcerer and ends up confronting his own double, with live music by Eliana Liuni.

On September 19 at 8pm, Queen Kelly: von Stroheim’s cursed production, canceled halfway through filming and now a legend, with a live quartet featuring piano, voice, violin and cello. On September 20 at 8pm, the festival closes with The Wind: Lillian Gish moves to the Texas prairie, where the wind never stops blowing, sand gets everywhere, and she must enter into a marriage she does not want; the film is accompanied by the Municipality of Hurlingham New Chamber Orchestra.

The tip: students and senior citizens can get a discount when purchasing tickets at the San Martín box office, with valid proof of eligibility.

Where: Avenida Corrientes 1530, San Nicolás.

Uncle Vanya reimagines Chekhov’s classic through a raw take on desires, frustrations and dreams that become unbearable. It is directed by Guillermo Cacace, with a cast made entirely up of actors from Antofagasta, in northern Chile, as part of the CACACE: Po/éticas del ensayo focus. Performances take place as part of FIBA’s international program, from September 17 to 20 at 8pm at the Centro Cultural Borges.

The tip: up to two free tickets can be collected per person starting 30 minutes before each performance; admission to the theater is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Where: Viamonte 525, San Nicolás.

The German Film Festival returns for its 26th edition from September 17 to 23 at Cinépolis Recoleta, with thirteen films showcasing the strength and versatility of German filmmaking. The festival opens with The Man Who Vanishes, Welf Reinhart’s debut feature about a woman whose life is shaken when her ex-husband, who has dementia, reappears. Special guest Kilian Armando Friedrich will travel to Argentina with I Understand Your Discontent, in which Heike, the director of a cleaning company, faces serious workplace problems and power struggles. Also on the lineup is The Sound of Falling, by Mascha Schilinski, about a German farm hiding generational secrets; the film won the Jury Prize at Cannes and ten Lola Awards. All this is joined by several other unmissable films, spanning fiction and documentaries.

One to keep in mind: the Festival includes two options for the whole family. The first is The Secret Floor, by Norbert Lechner, an adventure involving time travel, friendship and mysteries to solve. The second is the documentary Circusboy, by Julia Lemke and Anna Koch, which premiered at the Berlinale and explores the intimate life of a boy raised in a circus who must decide whether to continue with his family’s difficult legacy.

The tip: general admission is $15,000, or $13,000 with Movieclub; a five-film pass costs $60,000 and a ten-film pass costs $112,000.

Where: Vicente López 2050, Recoleta.

The Osvaldo Ruggiero Bandoneon Festival returns to celebrate the instrument that has shaped the history of tango, with free concerts at venues across Buenos Aires. This edition is dedicated to Víctor Lavallén, a living tango legend with more than seven decades of experience.

From September 17 to 27, performances will take place at several locations around the city: on September 17 at 5pm, Rodrigo Avalos and Heyni Solera perform at El Escritorio de Melos; on September 19 at 8pm, Violentango and Milagros Caliva Trío take the stage at CAFF; and on September 20 at 8pm, the Ruggiero/López duo, with Chino Laborde as a guest, performs at Naesqui. The program continues with several more concerts, many of them free.

The tip: concerts at El Escritorio de Melos and Naesqui are free; tickets for the concert at CAFF can be purchased through the venue’s website.

Where: Tte. Gral. Juan Domingo Perón 1560, San Nicolás; Sánchez de Bustamante 772, Almagro; Charlone 1400, Chacarita.

King crab, trout, prawns, seaweed and Patagonian lamb come together on a single menu to bring the flavors of Neuquén and Tierra del Fuego to Buenos Aires. It’s the latest edition of Manos en la Tierra, a culinary series that explores the food identities of the destinations where the hotel chain operates.

On September 18, you’ll enjoy a five-course journey prepared by Luciano Ratti, the hotel’s executive chef, together with chefs from the Neuquén and Ushuaia locations: from a king crab tartlet to a citrus cheesecake with rosehip jam, paired with wines from Bodega Ribera del Cuarzo.

The tip: reservations can be made via WhatsApp at +54 9 11 5413-3119.

Where: Cerrito 180, Monserrat.

To celebrate its quarter-century, MALBA is presenting a major special program from September 17 to 21. Visitors will be able to enjoy the opening of major exhibitions such as Viva Frida and Latin America in Expansion (Saturday 19 at 7pm), as well as an International Seminar streamed live on YouTube (Friday 18 from 10:30am to 5:30pm). Highlights of the free events include workshops and art experimentation stations inspired by Frida Kahlo (Saturday 19, from 2pm to 6pm) and outdoor DJ sets at Plaza Perú (Saturday 19, from 8:30pm to 11:30pm).

There will also be a tribute fashion show as part of Fashion Week (Sunday 20 at 8pm), an outdoor screening of the classic Metropolis with live music at Plaza Perú (Sunday 20 at 10pm), a special edition of the Reading Festival (Monday 21, from 3pm to 8pm), and a grand closing event featuring live Mexican folk music on the esplanade, themed food and a screening of Frida, Living Nature (Monday 21 from 7pm).

The tip: admission to all activities is free.

Where: Avenida Presidente Figueroa Alcorta 3415, Palermo.

FEA, the Handmade Publishing Fair, returns for its eighth edition with an entire day devoted to books made by hand. On September 19, from 3pm to 9pm, Centro Cultural La Bemba will host stands from independent publishers, as well as an intensive reading and writing workshop led by Dolores Reyes, from 4pm to 7pm, and Lugar Común - Vol. II: The Short Story, at 8pm, featuring Alejandra Kamiya and Hernán Ronsino discussing the genre, moderated by Agustina Larrea.

The tip: to attend Dolores Reyes’ workshop and the event with Kamiya and Ronsino, make a reservation via WhatsApp at 1132197672 (the second event operates on a pay-what-you-can basis).

Where: Prof F. Agüer 4757, Villa Ballester.

On Wednesdays in September, Germán Martitegui is adding a new menu to his afterTEGUI street food series to bid farewell to winter: Ventimiglia and local-producer cheese fondue, a sides platter and a white chocolate crunch. From 7pm, at one of Recoleta’s coolest bars, with good music playing in the background.

Meanwhile, Sifón Sodería is welcoming spring on September 20 from 8pm with a special night at its Chacarita location: Tomás Kalika in charge of the kitchen, a Carpano bar and a live DJ set by Santiago Santín. All night long, there’s 2-for-1 Vermucito, the house drink combining Carpano, spiced chai tincture and soda. It’s the star of a menu that brings back the ritual of soda water at the table with a contemporary twist.

The tip: you can visit AfterTEGUI with or without a reservation; at Sifón, no reservation is required.

Where: Rodríguez Peña 1973, Recoleta.